Between dune, Stand outAnd Crazy Max, it’s a good year for stories with lots of sand and little water. Now you can add Sandland – an adaptation of the late Akira Toriyama’s manga of the same name – to this list. The difference here is this Sandland is available in two new flavors. There’s an anime stream on Hulu (or Disney Plus if you’re outside the US) and a video game that turns the story into an open-world RPG. Both follow a similar plot, have the same characters and even look almost identical. That means if you want to immerse yourself in this post-apocalyptic wasteland, you’ll have to make a choice – and it turns out the animated series is a much closer and more exciting adaptation.
The first thing you should know is that no matter which version you experience, Sandland is quite strange. It is set in a world that, after a series of wars and natural disasters, has turned into a vast desert, running out of water for all but a king who hoards a private supply. So a sheriff named Rao sets out in the desert to find this supply for the benefit of everyone. Oh yes, there are demons too, and Rao ends up partnering with a young Beelzebub, whose father (Lucifer) agrees to let him help the human in exchange for screen time. They are joined by a demon named Thief who commits crimes in a Santa Claus costume, and they drive through the desert in a spherical tank.
What sets Sandland The tone is different from other post-apocalyptic worlds – think of it this way Crazy Max meets Dragon Ball. Things can get very serious at times as you explore the effects of a militaristic monopoly on everyday citizens and expose your characters to real tragedy. But it’s also silly and strange. Beelzebub is almost like a demonic Bart Simpson, someone who thinks he’s evil but is really just a video game-obsessed idiot. There’s a gang who dress like Olympic swimmers, a floating cyborg general, and an army of insect men. It may take place in a desert, but it’s teeming with strange life, like wandering birds of prey and demonic blobs hanging around with umbrellas. All of this is rendered in Toriyama’s very particular style.
The series manages to capture this in a brisk 13 episodes that are largely devoid of filler and offer plenty of genuinely entertaining action – from slow-motion sniper shots to high-speed chases (on foot, no less) – plus silly character moments. Unfortunately, the game is full of filler. And that’s because, by the numbers, it’s a pretty open-world game with lots of quests vying for your time, most of which aren’t particularly interesting. The combat, the stealth missions, the dungeons – pretty much every aspect of the game feels basic and underdeveloped. It’s not bad per se, but it lacks the crucial hook to make it clear Sandland. And because it stretches out to RPG length, it also lacks the pace and energy that make the series even more exciting.
The only thing that really makes the game good is its vehicles. In addition to a tank, you also get access to things like a jumping robot and a fancy motorcycle, all of which can be upgraded with new weapons and whatnot. They make moving through the world much more enjoyable and the vehicular combat is probably my favorite part of the game. The Sandland The game also does an excellent job with scaling: you regularly feel like a little demon surrounded by a huge, oppressive wasteland. Unfortunately, the game can’t do much with this feeling since the world is pretty empty. For example, at the beginning you have to explore an absolutely huge crashed airship, but inside it’s mostly bare rooms that you have to fight the occasional boss fight through.
The main thing that sets the game apart is the story and style Sandland – which the show explores much better. The series even introduces a brand new story arc from Toriyama, taking the series in an interesting new direction and making it the perfect place to delve into this strange post-apocalyptic universe.
Sandland: The Series is now streaming on Hulu, while the game is available on Xbox, PlayStation and PC.